Interventions and Hotdogs
by heavenunderhell
Summary: AWOL SERIES Alice felt like she had been caught picking her nose. Everyone from Vicky to Thom to Mattie were sitting or standing, or in Thom’s case nodding off on the tiled floor, in the kitchen. And they were staring at her. AU/drug use


A/N: this a more humorous, light-hearted part of the AWOL series...and it's probably the only one. character list, background and basic info are on my profile page. i haven't posted any stories that explain those things yet, i suppose i should. the story's set in modern day, small town and their all teenagers. again, check the profile and you shall be granted the ability to understand my frankenstein-ish creation.

now...fest my children!

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Interventions and Hotdogs

Alice felt like she had been caught picking her nose. Everyone from Vicky to Thom to Mattie were sitting or standing (or in Thom's case nodding off on the tiled floor) in the clean, airy kitchen just staring at her with a blank expression. The blonde girl discretely itched her nose, nope no boogers. She checked the zipper on her ratty cut offs, yep fly's closed. Then what in the world were they staring at? She paused to think about how she was beginning to sound like Henry, the resident pothead, and decided to cut back on the pot smoking from every week or so to never again.

"Oh my GOD!" Kat bust in through the back door dressed in her usual sweat pants turned sweat shorts and dirty camisole.

Alice noted that for once, her best friend's pupils were in fact, _not_ dilated. Was today a special occasion? She realized, horrified, that the only people who seemed incapacitated were Henry (because he had no brain cells left to capacitate) and Thom (who well…he'd been on whatever he was on for so long he didn't even have to take it anymore, it was just _there_). Then, even more horrified, Alice realized that this convergence of all of her friends, friend's friends, drug buddies, drug dealers and that one guy everyone feels sorry for, could be an intervention.

"Uh…" Marc trailed off, scratching the back of his head, messing his rebellious white blonde spikes up even more. Alice would have laughed at the hair sticking up on one side if she had not been in the middle of a panic attack about having an intervention.

"Guys you suck!" Kat screamed waving her long arms at the crowd. Most gave her an apologetic look, while Vicky went back to counting a wad of crumpled money that had appeared out of no where. Thom squeaked and went back to being the drooling lump he had been for years now.

"_He's the one that needs the intervention…"_ Alice thought as she watched him face-plant on the floor after a more violent twitch.

"You guys are the suckest! You even suck at sucking! THAT'S how much you suck!" Kat was still yelling, and Adam raised his hand. "What?!" she fumed, prying her dull orange hair, that was plastered to her face with sweat, off.

The young man shook his head and sighed, "Why don't we just do it now instead of you screaming like a banshee at us and confusing Allie?"

She couldn't seem to find an argument so turned her glare on the rest of the crowd with her hands on her hipsbones, that pressed against her skin like they were broken. "Okay everyone…three, two…one!"

"Happy Birthday!" they shouted, the only enthusiastic ones being Mattie, Kat, Vinnie and Marcus.

"-birfday…" Thom trailed off. Gillian dropped casually from her seat to the floor and yanked him into the sitting position.

"Birth…day?" the blonde questioned.

"It's your fifteenth birthday!" Mattie pushed through everyone who had gotten up now that their task was over and pulled the girl into a tight hug.

"Oh yeah…" she realized. Then spotted Drew dragging a cooler of beer out the back door and onto the wide porch. She rolled her eyes, of course Drew would bring beer to a fifteen year olds surprise birthday party.

"Come on, we're having a barbeque!" Mattie squealed and yanked Alice out the door.

She smiled as she looked at all of her friends in their proper places, just enjoying the summer air and surprisingly well kept backyard. Gillian and Thom lay on a checkered blanket spread out on the soft grass while Vinnie sat with Belinda in lawn chairs beside them. Vinnie's joint hung from his mouth and Belinda giggled at something the twins were arguing about as they sat on either side of her on the grass. Kat stood beside Marcus at the grill berating him about his grilling abilities, the blonde boy scowled at her and repeated that he was the only one that could cook, therefore he was the best. Adam and Vicky leaned on the railing of the patio deck watching Drew partake in underage drinking while they shared a cigarette, making no move to stop him.

"_Drug dealers…what are you gonna do about 'em?"_ Alice sighed and then jumped as a plate was shoved into her hands by the dark haired boy beside her. He gave her a wide grin and drug her over to the grill, filling her plate up with picnic food and then getting his own, grabbed two beers and sat down on the grass beside the blanket. The blonde plopped down beside him and took a bit of her slightly burnt hotdog. She wouldn't complain though, and sent a thumbs up to Marcus while her mouth was full. He grinned cheekily back and stuck his tongue out at Kat.

Once everyone had arranged themselves in a misshapen circle, laughing and talking, passing drinks around followed by Vinnie's joint, the birthday girl thanked them with a sweet smile. They smiled back, and even Vicky cracked a grin at the younger girl with a nod. Alice decided that she loved this. Sitting in Vicky's backyard that didn't belong in this type of neighborhood, laughing with everyone, like they were in a different world. Outside in the summer heat, everyone looked alive, their pale, gaunt faces brightened by the sun. It was like they were all best friends instead of a group shoved together in a mess of relationships formed through a similar fascination with wasting away their golden years or purely based on buyer-seller existences. Alice started on her second hotdog, pretending they were one giant family having a picnic at the park.

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